Now Kansas City is a pretty laid back place so this occupation is pretty much a great thing for stirring us up. As I wandered around looking to take pictures I realize that I really love my city. Urban planners tried to keep "greenways" for a while. We seem to have areas that are really thriving (like our plaza area) and places on the edge and places that have fallen totally off the edge.
I apologize for the mediocre pics, but there were better photographers than me at the event and pics may show up at the Occupykc link
I found on arriving that we have a little island with a crab apple tree and a monument to the Spanish War and China Relief Expedition. There is an art installation just to the west of us made up of freight car boxes spelling out IOU. I've been told that it spells out USA on the back. And behind that is a dog park where dogs can be let off the leash.
To the east of us is the new Federal Reserve building. Kids get to tour the place and get little bags of shredded dollar bills. To the North is the Liberty Memorial Monument dedicated to WWI.
I was greeted by a fiddler and treated to a juggling show. People my age were there and people my daughters' age were there and people my grandkids age were there. And one even younger than my youngest grandbaby was there.
I found that they had already begun work and had committees and forums already going on the website. I was impressed by everybody's good will. There were a couple of cops hired to watch over the art installation and one came over and gave us his cell phone number!
During the General Assembly there was a real effort to make sure that this is viewed as good for the community with a reaching out for things to do to benefit the community. That felt very good to me as it gave me a sense of putting roots down and planning for the future.